| Comment Number: | EM-001254 |
| Received: | 2/21/2005 8:25:25 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
February 21, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed changes to work rules that the Department of Defense (DoD) wants to implement. I read at the proposed regulations aka the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) that were printed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2005. What is so wrong with the system the way that it is that it has to be so drastically changed? We need work rules that preserve fairness, serve the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers. We don?t need a ?pay for performance? system. No worker's salary should depend almost completely on the personal judgment of his or her manager. Most times managers know less that the employees that they supervise. In my case, I know that I wouldn?t get much of a pay raise because I am the employee that has to stand up to tell the manager that they did something wrong. And my manager?s way of dealing with problems that she created that I have to bring to her attention is to try and ?kill the messenger?. About Civilian Deployment. I have worked for DoD for almost 18 years. I signed up for a civilian job. I didn?t enlist in the military. If this is in acted, I could be assigned anywhere in the world, even into a war zone, with little or no notice. And if I didn?t go or I couldn?t pass the physical requirements, I could be terminated from Federal service. This to me seems like another tool that managers could use to rid themselves of employees they didn?t like or care for. Today?s volunteer system works well and so far has been able to meet the demands that have been placed a pond it. From what I have read about the proposed changes, it seems like the DoD wants to treat the employees who help defend our country as something more or less like second class citizens. Most DoD employees work hard and are committed and they deserve better that what this system is offering. These rules would create a system in which federal managers would be influenced by favoritism. I believe this would lead to even more mistreatment of DoD employees by federal managers. This mistreatment would come in the way that DoD workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, schedule to work, ect. This will do nothing but hurt the agency?s mission rather than serving the security concerns of the American people. I urge you to force DoD to rethink this proposal. We need work rules that preserve fairness, serve the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers. Not a system that will create an environment in which workers are in conflict with one another and afraid to speak out about harassment, violations of the law, and workplace safety problems. We need a system that assures everyone is treated fairly. And NSPS is not that system. Sincerely,